Reclining chair

ABSTRACT

A reclining chair which includes a concealable headrest and extensible footrest is disclosed. The lower end of the backrest of the chair, when moved into a reclining chair, moves forward on rollers which engage curved guide slots. Thus, the chair reclines without extending as far backwards beyond its base as other reclining chairs.

United States Patent 1191 Herman RECLINING CHAIR [75] Inventor: Marvin J. Herman, Los Angeles,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Herman, Kulo & Modell, Los

Angeles, Calif.

22 Filed: Dec. 11,1972

21 Appl. No.: 313,787

v [52] [1.8. CI. 297/61, 297/318 [51] Int. Cl. A476 1/037 [58] Field 01 Search 297/61, 85, 318,112, 343,

[56] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,751,897 3/1930 Thurn 5 47 x 2,479,175 8/1949 McArthur.... 297/318 2,817,388 12/1957 Knabusch 297/436 X 2,843,183 Luckhardt 297/61 1451 Dec. 24, 1974 2,925,122 2/1960 Winick 297/318 2,996,332 8/1961 Kurfyka... 297/61 3,055,707 9/1962 Spound 297/6] 3,107,364 10/1963 Simmons 5/48 X 3,531,156 9/1970 Crawford 297/61 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 979,923 5/1951 France 297/61 Primary ExaminerFrancis K. Zugel Attorney, Agent, or Fir mSpensley, Horn & Lubitz 57 ABSTRACT A reclining chair which includes a concealable headrest and extensible footrest is disclosed. The lower end of the backrest of the chair, when moved into a reclining chair, moves forward on rollers which engage curved guide slots. Thus, the chair reclines without extending as far backwards beyond its base as other reclining chairs.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATEHTEB DEE24I974 sum 2 or 3 PAIENm 0&0241914 sum a va: 3

RECLINING CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 2. Prior Art Reclining chairs such as those shown in US. Letters Pat. No. 3,652,125 and 3,I4 7,037'are well known in the prior art. One problem encountered with prior art reclining chairs is that as the backrest is brought into a reclining position the upper part of the backrest and the headrest moves backwards, thus making it difficult to place the chair in a reclining position when the chair is close to a wall or other obstacle. This occurs since the backrest pivots about a single point such as pivot 81 shown in- FIGS. 2 and 3 of US. Letters Pat. No.

3,652,125. As will be seen in the present invention, an

equivalent pivotal means moves forwardas the backrest is reclined, thereby preventing the upper portion of the backrest and headrest from moving backwards as far as it does in the prior art chairs.

Also in prior art chairs the headrest often extends above the backrest, preventing the chair from having a low profile. As will be seen in the presently disclosed chair, the headrest is completely concealed within the backrest when the backrest is in its upright position and protrudes and extends upwards as the backrest is reclined.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A reclining chair is disclosed which includes a concealable headrest, a reclinable backrest, a seat portion which moves in conjunction with the backrest and an extensible footrest. The backrest frame and carriage is mounted on rollers within a pair of sector or curved shaped guide slots which are disposed within the base of the chair. As the backrest is reclined, the pivotal axis of the backrest moves forward within the guide slots, moving the base of the backrest forward as it reclines.

Th'eseat support links are coupled to the lower portion of the backrest frame and carriage, causing the end of the seat adjacent to the backrest to move downward and forward as the seat is reclined while the other end of the seat adjacent to the footrest moves forward and upward. A footrest is disposed on a scissor-type assembly and is extensible. The headrest of the chair is pivotally mounted to'the upper and lower ends of the backrest frame and carriage. The link coupling the lower end of the backrest carriage to the headrest translates the downward and forward movement of the-backrest carriage to a generally upward movement of the headrest causing the headrest to extend upward as the backrest is reclined. The headrest is totally concealed within the backrest when the chair is in the upright position.

Thus the reclining chair, unlike the prior art chairs, has a low profile and additionally, when reclined does not require as much space behind the chair as do the prior art chairs. t

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the presently invented reclining chair primarily illustrating the back and side of the chair. This view is taken with the chair in its upright position.

FIG. 2 illustrates the chair of FIG. 1 from the same perspective view but with the chair illustrated in its reclined position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the chair in its upright position illustrating thevarious linkages and othermechanisms used in the operation of the chair.

FIG. 4 is a partial top view-of the chairof FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the chair similar to FIG. 3, except that the chair is shown in the reclined position with the headrest and footrest extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As is readily seen from the figures, the presently disclosed chair is a reclining chair with an extensible head- 4 having a corresponding mirror image part. Generally,

all the linkages may be made from metal, such as steel, utilizing known techniques. The pivotal connections may'comp'rise ordinary metal pivotal connections commonly utilized in reclining chairs or may include bearing inserts, such as nylon inserts.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upholstered embodiment of the seat includes a base 31, a seat cushion 36 and extensible footrest 49, a back member 56, a back cushion 12, an extensible headrest l4, and a headrest cover 26. As is readily apparent from FIGS.'1 and 2,,

when the headrest 14 is extended, the headrest cover 26 moves rearward. In the'presently preferred embodiment when the chair is reclined, as shown'in FIG. 2, the headrest automatically extends.

The backrestframe and carriage'10 includes a pair of elongated arms, each of which terminate in their lower portion in a generally triangular shaped shoe 34. The upper end of the carriage 10 is coupled to connecting link 15 at pivot 17 while the arms are interconnected by a pair of cross bars 11. The'cross bars 11 provide a supporting surface for the backrest cushion 1 2. Additionalcross arms 11' are disposed on the opposite edge of the arms from cross bars 11 and are utilized to support a hinge 27, Rollers 19 and 20 are coupled to each of the shoes 34 and in the presently preferred embodiment these rollers comprise nylon members pivotally coupled to the shoes for cooperatively engaging guide slots 18. Obviously only a single hinge 27 is utilized in the chair.

A pair of side plates 32 are coupled to the sides of the base 31 and provide a support upon which'various linkages may be mounted. These side plates in part define the guide slots 18 which have a generally curved shape comprisingapproximately or onequadrant of an ellipse. As isreadily apparent from FIGS. 3 and 5, the upper end of theguide slots 18 are at-the back of the chair, while the forward end of the slots 18 are forward and lower than the upper ends of the slots. Thus, as the carriage 10 moves from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the backrest cushion 12 moves both downward and forward as the backrest reclines. A resilient stop 33 is mounted in the lower end of each of the guide slots 18. These stops provide surfaces against which the shoe rollers may rest when the chair is in its reclined position.

The headrest 14 is coupled to a pair of elongated headrest links 13. The upper portion of these links are coupled to the carriage by the connecting links 15 which are pivotally coupled to the backrest links 13 at pivots 16. The lower portions of the backrest links 13 are pivotally coupled to the shoes 34 through connecting links 22. The connecting links 22 are pivotally connected at pivot to the links 13 and are pivotally coupled to the shoes 34 at pivots 20, these connections being the same connections that couple roller 21 to the shoes. An elongated rectangular slot 24 is disposed through and defined by each of the links 22. The links 22 are pivotally coupled to the plate 32 by pivots 23. Thus, the connecting links 22 may pivot about pivots 23 in addition to being able to move along their lengths within the confines of the slots 24. It is readily apparent when comparing the positions of the links 22 in FIGS. 3 and 5, that these links translate the downward and forward'movement of the shoes into generally rearward and upward movement of the headrest links 13.

Theheadrest cover 26 includes an upholstered upper portion for mating with the upper contour of the backrest cushion 12 such that the upper portion of the chair,

when in its upright position, has a smooth upper'surface. A hinge 27 which is coupled to the cross bar 11' allows the cover 26 to pivot about the hinge so as to expose the headrest l4 and allow itto move upwards above the cushion 12. A spring 28 is coupled between the cover 26 and at least one of the links 13 to urge the upper portion of the cover 26 against the upper portion of the cushion 12. It is readily apparent when comparing FIGS. 3 and 5 that as the backrest is reclined the links 13 will move upward as theypivot on connecting links 15 and 22. As this occurs the cover 26 will open from the pressure exerted against it by the links 13, allowing the headrest 14 to extend upward and abut the upper surface of the cushion 12.

The seat cushion 36 is mounted on a pair of main seat links 35, these links are coupled at one end at pivots 37 to the shoes 34. Supporting links coupled to links at pivots 40 provide support for the forward portion of the main seat links 35. The supporting linkages include links 39 which are pivotally coupled at pivots 41 to links 42. Links 42 are pivotally coupled at pivots 43 to the side plates 32 while the other end oflinks 42 are pivotally coupled to one end of the links 38 at pivots 44. The other endof links 38 are pivotally coupled to the shoes 34 at pivots 58. Thus, in comparing FIGS. 3 and 5,-as the carriage 10 moves downward and forward within the guide slots 18, the links 38 and 42 will cause links 39 to move one end of links 35 upward while the other end of the links 35, that is the ends coupled to the shoes, move downward. Also the entire links 35 are translated forward as the chair is reclined.

The footrest 49is mounted on a generally scissortype linkage assembly which includes-the links 51 and 50, these links being pivotally coupled to the footrest 49. Links 50 are pivotally coupled between their ends to links 52, and links 52 are coupled at their ends to one-end of links 51 and one end of links 53. Links are pivotally coupled to one end of links 54, while the other end of links 54 are pivotally coupled to the side plates 32 at pivots 57. Links 53, which define an obtuse angle, are pivotally coupled between their ends to approximately the mid-point of links 54. One end of links 53 are pivotally coupled to one end of links 45, while links 45 are pivotally coupled at pivots 46 to the side plates 32. The other ends of links 45 are pivotally coupled to one end of links 48, and the other ends of links 48 are pivotally coupled to one end of the terminal links 47. The other ends of the terminal links 47 are pivotally coupled to the side plates 32 at pivots 60. It is readily apparent when comparing FIGS. 3 and 5 that the footrest 49 may be manually extended. Note that in the presently preferred embodiment there is no interconnection between the linkages upon which the footrest 49 is mounted and those linkages which control the movement of the seat, backrest and headrest. A single lever arm 61 is mounted on a shaft 62 and is used to control the movement of the footrest 49. A sector gear (notshownin'order' not to over complicate the drawings) is coupled to one of the links 47 and in cooperation with the shaft 62 controls the position of the footrest and enables selection of several footrest positions irrespective of position of the described reclining chair. In the presently preferred embodiment this position control means is a standard means, commonly used in the prior art.

The described reclining chair (with the exception of the footrest) has two positions, an upright position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 and a reclining position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The chair may be readily manually moved from one position to the other. As the chair is reclined the headrestextends automatically. Because the carriage 10 is mounted within the curved guide slots 18, the backrest, when reclining, does not move rearward as much as inprior art chairs..Thus, a reclining chair has been disclosed that has a low profile, and which may be reclined even when the back of the chair isclose to a wall or other object.

I claim:

1. A reclining chair comprising:

a base which includes a pair of spaced-apart parallel guide slots each having a generally curved shape;

a backrest frame having an upper portion for receiving a cushion and a lower portion which includes a pair of spaced-apart parallel shoes;

connector means for movabl'y coupling said shoes to said guide slots such that the movement of said shoes is restricted by said guide slots;

a pair of-seat links for receiving a seat, each pivotally coupled at one end to one of said shoes;

seat support link means, pivotally coupled to said seat links for providing support to said seat links,

a headrest; a first and a second connector links for pivotally coupling said headrest tosaid backrest frame, said sec 0nd connector link being pivotally coupled to at least one of said shoes and to said base so that downward movement of said shoes is translated into upward movement of said backrest; whereby as said chair is reclined said connector means advance within said guide slots and said backrest is raised. 2. The chair defined in claim 1 including a footrest mounted on a linkage assembly, said assembly coupling said footrest to said base.

3. The chair defined in claim 2 wherein said conneccover being coupled to said backrest frame such that tor means includes a plurality of rollers. when said headrest is raised said headrest cover uncov- 4. The reclining chair defined'in claim 1 including a ers said headrest. headrest cover for covering said headrest, said headrest 

1. A reclining chair comprising: a base which includes a pair of spaced-apart parallel guide slots each having a generally curved shape; a backrest frame having an upper portion for receiving a cushion and a lower portion which includes a pair of spaced-apart parallel shoes; connector means for movably coupling said shoes to said guide slots such that the movement of said shoes is restricted by said guide slots; a pair of seat links for receiving a seat, each pivotally coupled at one end to one of said shoes; seat support link means, pivotally coupled to said seat links for providing support to said seat links; a headrest; a first and a second connector links for pivotally coupling said headrest to said backrest frame, said second connector link being pivotally coupled to at least one of said shoes and to said base so that downward movement of said shoes is translated into upward movement of said backrest; whereby as said chair is reclined said connector means advance within said guide slots and said backrest is raised.
 2. The chair defined in claim 1 including a footrest mounted on a linkage assembly, said assembly coupling said footrest to said base.
 3. The chair defined in claim 2 wherein said connector means includes a plurality of rollers.
 4. The reclining chair defined in claim 1 including a headrest cover for covering said headrest, said headrest cover being coupled to said backrest frame such that when said headrest is raised said headrest cover uncovers said headrest. 